Extraordinary Endeavors in Turbulent Times: Asian Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact during COVID-19

ASIA BUSINESS COUNCIL HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1 5 Ayala Corp (Philippines) Extraordinary Endeavors in Turbulent Times the time. Ayala Corp. worked with the Department of Health to pursue timely accreditation of the facility, 10 and AC Health donated machines and equipment to the Tropical Disease Foundation, the owner of an existing laboratory facility specializing in tuberculosis testing, to help equip the facility for COVID-19 testing. Tracing Ayala Corp. took steps to enhance capacity for contact tracing, which remains hampered by the lack of a national identification system, including refining contact tracing protocols and identifying technology systems to support efficient contact tracing. Treatment The Philippines’ treatment strategy required dedicated quarantine facilities for less severe cases to reduce pressure on the health system. Ayala companies Ayala Land, Globe, Manila Water, Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), and AC Energy worked to convert Manila’s World Trade Center into a 500-bed quarantine facility with isolation cubicles in April, when hospitals were becoming overwhelmed. The Ayala companies pooled their resources to complete the project in seven days, with Ayala Land’s Makati Development Corp. leading the planning and construction, Globe Telecom funding the construction cost and providing Wi-fi services, and IMI donating sanitation booths. 11 The facility was then turned over to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to operate. Ayala companies also converted the QualiMed Hospital in Santa Rosa, Laguna, into a COVID-19 referral facility. Ayala Corp. also stepped up to procure personal protective equipment via a voluntary employee donation program in whichworkers had the option to contribute part of their bonuses, and Ayala Health handed out 10,000 N95 masks in hospitals. 12 The Ayala group plans to continue supporting relief efforts through Task Force T3 by creating a training program for new recruits hired by the government. The group is also supporting the Task Force’s “Ingat Angat Tayong Lahat” campaign to restart the economy by encouraging citizens to resume their normal activities, while following safety protocols. In all these efforts, Ayala was well-prepared to take a leadership role and serve as a resource for other companies because of its vision in identifying the healthcare sector as a key area of disruption over the past four to five years. This had resulted in a well-trained workforce, from the entry level to the C-suite, with expertise in both medicine and business. Importantly, Ayala Corp also sought to support its business partners and customers, many of them micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). “We made it a key priority to provide critical and direct support to the very stakeholder ecosystem that helped us become successful.”